Teachers Surprised with $500+ Gift Cards for Teaching Supplies

Last month, 25 Alhambra School District teachers were given the ultimate gift of being able to improve their classrooms and purchase necessary teaching supplies thanks to a partnership between Valley of the Sun United Way and Walmart.
“Walmart is proud to have donated over $13,500 to make this amazing event happen for 26 teachers in the Alhambra Elementary School District,” said Javier Angulo, senior director for community relations at Walmart. “We know that teachers are the unsung heroes who dedicate their time and financial resources to provide for their students. We hope that the $530 gift cards that they each received can go towards alleviating some of those costs.”
Teachers received the Visa gift cards at a board meeting when a surprise flash mob of Valley of the Sun United Way and Walmart employees entered the meeting to distribute the gift cards and School Readiness Kits with learning resources for families and teachers.
Teachers were selected randomly, with no knowledge that they’d receive the gift cards at the meeting.
“Ensuring students have the supplies they need to learn their best can become a burden on teachers who want to provide the best possible education for their students but lack resources,” said Valley of the Sun United Way director of Community Impact Dawn Gerundo. “We’re thrilled to be able to work with Walmart to provide these gift cards and continue to support kindergarten transition with School Readiness Kits, which are filled with learning resources for families preparing their children to enter school.”
With an estimated 90 percent of teachers spending an average of $500 of their own money on teaching supplies, gifts like these can make a substantial difference for teachers and their students.
“The Alhambra Elementary School District is extremely grateful to Walmart and Valley of the Sun United Way for surprising our teachers with these gift cards for their classrooms,” said Mark Yslas, superintendent of the Alhambra Elementary School District. “They have truly impacted the lives of these lucky teachers and for that, we are very grateful.”